The Beginning
by HeartofSilence
Summary: Sometimes the past tries to be forgotten.
1. The Days of Youth Cut Short

First of all, I do not want to hear a thing about this story not following the original mythology. It was not meant to. Secondly, I pretty much disregard anything having to do with the television series, as I cannot stomach my way through a single episode. With that, read on.

Disclaimer: (This disclaimer will only be given once; I expect it to apply for all chapters.) I do not own the animated feature film Hercules or any of its characters.

Chapter I

The Days of Youth Cut Short

"Mother! Mom!" The tiny figure of a five year old boy went racing across the fields of Crete toward a woman reclining in the shade of an ancient, gnarled olive tree.

The woman in question was unsurpassed in beauty. Her rich, mahogany hair flowed over her shoulders in the light breeze, and her dark lashes fluttered in a resting position on the creamy skin of her cheeks. As the boy approached, the lashes parted to reveal honey-colored irises that made any who saw them reminisce of sunlight and nostalgia. In future years; to any who remembered her, even if the years and ravages of time wore away at the edges of her face and her smile, those eyes would be remembered always as they once were.

"Look what I found!" the boy chattered excitedly. The child was tall for his age and had the white skin and yellow eyes of his mother; however, not a single hair grew from his head. He opened clenched palms to reveal a beautiful, if slightly worse for the wear, dragonfly. The diaphanous wings shimmered and the boy gazed at them in wonder.

That is, until the insect decided to show exactly what it thought of being carried about by rambunctious children and reached over to bite his thumb. The bug was promptly dropped with a yelp from the offended party, and flitted off to safer, childless areas of the landscape.

"Oh, it's alright," Rhea soothed when she saw her son's lower lip wobble just the slightest. Her eldest, Hades, even at this age refused to cry. As his mother, she didn't need to see tears to tell how he felt. "Let's see if we can get this fixed up…"

With little in the sense of self-consciousness, Rhea ripped a small bit of cloth from the hem of her sleeve and tied it around the area that was now sprouting small beads of blood. True to all kids, as soon as the bandage was on, Hades immediately cheered up and forgot all about being bitten.

"Why don't you play with your brother, hmm?" she asked, drawing attention to the small bundle in her lap.

Glancing at the azure infant cradled there, Hades scrunched his face up. "Po's too young to do anything fun. He can't even walk by himself yet!"

"He will, you just need to give him a chance. After all, you're his big brother. It's your job to look out for him." With this, she unwrapped the blanket and helped the grinning blue-eyed baby into a standing position. Poseidon immediately latched onto one of Hades' fingers with a death grip, and he was stuck with him whether he liked it or not. They both walked over to the sunny spot Hades was playing at earlier, and quickly the two were giggling and playing, despite protests.

This lasted for nearly an hour with only one interruption in the form of a stern reprimand for Hades when he was discovered trying to convince the baby to pet a bumblebee; a practice he was proud to have mastered and exercised at every opportunity.

When the wind stopped blowing and the field became quiet, making Rhea wonder how that could be possible, since it had seemed silent already, the boys did not notice and continued to play. However, when a huge shadow fell over them and blotted out the sun, they noticed. Their mother appeared in front of them, facing the source of darkness.

The looming figure looked down on them from a great height. "So this is where you went, my wife." The voice boomed, though it did not yet seem mal-intentioned.

"Kr- Kronos." Rhea was clearly unsettled by his appearance. Titans and gods had the ability to change their shape and size; normally he would possess the same humanlike stature of his wife, and it bothered her to see him this way. Their marriage had become strained in recent days; Kronos had slowly declined in temperament and often seemed lost in thought. She was afraid he would become a bad influence on the children, so she chose to have a small break and bring them down to this place that was so much brighter than their home had become. Now she wished perhaps she'd paid a little more attention to his withdrawn demeanor, instead of trying to ignore it.

He gently rested his enormous hand on Rhea's shoulder. "Trying to hide them from me?"

She only looked up at him in confusion and growing dread. That dread changed to full-fledged fear when Kronos' eyes hardened and glinted with madness. The grip on her shoulder tightened painfully and he threw her to the side where she hit her head on the trunk of the olive tree. Dazed, she blearily watched as the figure of her husband advanced on Hades and Poseidon.

As soon as Hades saw his mother's pain, a notorious rage boiled up within him. That anger quickly simmered and died once those deranged orbs turned his way. He gathered his brother up in his arms. Po seemed to sense something was very wrong, but despite his tearing eyes, remained silent. Hades looked up at the dark, imposing figure of his father and trembled.

"You will never take my kingdom from me…" Kronos hissed.

Rhea fully returned to consciousness just in time to scream in horror as she watched her husband devour the two children. Disbelieving; her hand stretched out as if she could stop what had already occurred, the titaness shrieked in agony.

Hades, still clutching tightly to his baby brother, heard his mother's cries; then the darkness consumed him.


	2. The Light Forthcoming

Chapter II

The Light Forthcoming

On the outside world, Rhea exiled herself in order to escape her deranged husband. She ran faster and farther once she realized that she was pregnant with yet another child. In terror she finally reached a remote island inhabited by nymphs, hoping never to be found and grieving for her lost sons. When her third son was born, healthy with golden skin and a head full of her mahogany hair, she dubbed him Zeus. The pain of losing her other children became too much to bear; however, and after ensuring the nymphs of the island would take care of him, Rhea, the mother of the gods, allowed herself to slip into the sea; fading away forever.*

As Zeus aged, he learned the skills of a warrior. When he was old enough to leave the island, the god learned of his trapped siblings and devised a plan.

/OOO\

For fifteen years, Hades and his brother remained in the stomach of their father. Being immortal, they were able to stay alive; though, that did not mean they couldn't feel pain or discomfort. Hades, despite all his supposed misgivings about Poseidon, loved him and protected him by wrapping his body around his brother; holding him closely. This way, Poseidon was spared much of the pain and darkness corrupting their father that inexorably seeped into Hades.

As his body grew and seemed to deteriorate at the same time, Hades, in no small part due to the young one, kept a hold on his sanity, even when the walls constricted around him and he became afraid of crushing his little brother. The older brother often spoke to the infant and worked on teaching him words, if only to take his mind off where he was.

Hades himself also gained knowledge because, even though the walls of muscle surrounding him were thick, he could still hear outside them. The murmurings of voices outside had at first seemed faint and indecipherable, but a starving mind that desperately craved change after a few short days allowed his ears to finally strain enough to translate the sounds into words. In reality, the son was present and paying rapt attention to every meeting and interaction of the father. Fear and loathing morphed into raw hatred.

Entombed in such a way, Hades' mind was honed to a sharp, nearly dangerous edge. Sleep would not come to him, so whenever Po was resting all he was able to do was delve into contemplation to escape the horror. These times tortured him. Through the years he could still hear his mother's scream ringing in his ears.

By the fifteenth year of imprisonment, Hades had lost hope that he would ever be free, and could no longer hide his despair from Poseidon.

Poseidon remembered little of his life before becoming trapped in the stomach of Kronos and seemingly obtaining permanent residence within his brother's embrace. Because of this, he was able to adapt much better, and even developed a sort of positive personality. He was quiet; though, and rarely spoke up unless he really felt something needed to be said.

That time was now. Po was becoming increasingly worried about his protective older brother. Hades used to talk all the time, in order to keep from losing his mind in the unchanging monotony. He was now, and had been for some time, disconcertingly quiet. He couldn't see in the darkness, but even as a god, Hades was being consumed. Bones jutted from a chest that was never built to be slender. Features that were once rounded had turned sharp.

"Brother?" the timid voice squeaked into the darkness. Poseidon was sixteen now, but being trapped since infancy had resulted in him being unable to develop his maturity to its full extent. Much of his behavior remained reminiscent of a child.

It was a long time before he received an answer; long enough for the fear to set in. "Yeah?"

The relief on the younger's face would have been visible if it weren't for the blackness. "You know…" he paused, "I turn sixteen today."

Another extended silence, then a dry chuckle that was more felt than heard. "Well, happy birthday bro. I'd make you a cake, but-" the laugh became bitter and strained.

After a moment's indecision Po continued on to a subject he was sure his brother wouldn't appreciate, after all, he'd mostly survived the ordeal through denial. "I- I wonder whether mom has found a way to get us out of here."

Seething, Hades replied "Oh, but my dear brother, don't you just _love_ it down here!" the tone was a mocking whisper, but still seemed loud to Po. "I mean, we don't even have any chores. No more cleaning the dishes, right?" the laugh turned cold and died.

"But seriously, though," he continued after a moment. "hate to burst your bubble, kid, but we've been down here for a _long_ time." A sigh. "I don't think she's coming for us, buddy."

"Don't say that!" his little brother showed an uncharacteristic display of anger.

"And why not?" Hades' voice was still mocking. "After fifteen… shit, after _fifteen_ years somehow I just don't think dear old daddy is going to suddenly decide he's sick of me kicking him in the liver!"

As soon as he'd finished this statement, there came an ominous rumbling.

"… That's new…" Hades whispered.

The rumbling grew and their little prison started to shake, then move. Not knowing what else to do, Hades gripped his brother tight. The brothers suddenly lurched upward and were violently assaulted by light and color and _air_. Hades hit the grass-covered ground hard, but was too shocked; too fearful this was a dream, to reopen his eyes.

/OOO\

Zeus was hiding a distance away, cautiously glancing out at a clearing from his position behind a large boulder. He was clad in thick armor, for all the good that would do if something went horribly wrong. By this age his curly hair had grown out past his shoulders, which were broad and muscular for someone of a meager fifteen years.

He had spiked his father's wineskin with poison while he was sleeping. The task had been beyond nerve-wracking, but the titan apparently felt quite secure in his invincibility because he'd slept on without a trace of wakefulness all through the night. Kronos was on one of his oddly frequent excursions in Crete and had for once forgone the luxury of sleeping indoors, offering a rare chance for the young god. Even after what he had done there the monster had remained free of guilt or shame; probably so he could gloat about his great victory over a pair of kids barely free of the womb.

The enormous, mighty titan was now painfully emptying the contents of his stomach onto the earth. When the heaving started to rasp and hitch and become agonizing to listen to, a large bundle finally tumbled its way from the depths of his gullet. After abandoning his insides, Kronos collapsed to the earth, exhausted and unconscious from the effects of a strong partial-sedative.

Not knowing how much time he had to spare, Zeus rushed to his brothers, but slowed his pace in surprise upon seeing them up close.

Hades had changed. His once pearly skin had darkened into a gray, corpse-like hue. A large-framed body seemed like it held nothing but bones. From the grimace on his emaciated face, Zeus also spied long, sharp fangs peeking out from a partially opened mouth. His head remained hairless. All in all, Hades reminded Zeus of nothing so much as a demonic corpse. Zeus flinched when the clawed hand twitched and moved aside to reveal the second brother.

Poseidon's appearance was unaffected, due to his brother's protection. His skin remained the same blue color it had been in infancy, but with age fish-like fins had appeared to frame his face. Though not possessing the deteriorated guise of his brother, he was still very twig-like and gave the impression of a younger age. In fact, if Zeus didn't know better, he would be compelled to believe he was the middle child in the equation. While the elder brother's eyes were winced shut in disbelief, Po's blue eyes were wide open in awe. Fifteen years is a long time to be robbed of sight. Gingerly he attempted to loosen the frantic grip his brother held on him, with little success. Fifteen years is a long time to be holding your younger sibling, and Hades was having trouble accepting he must let go.

"Brother, brother! We're free! Open your eyes! We're free!" Po's voice had a nearly indistinct warble.

Slowly, that clawed grip loosened, and Zeus saw black-rimmed and weary yellow eyes open. Oddly, the warrior noted that the eyes were, paradoxically, the exact same shade as his mother's, but that is where the similarity ended. While his mother's eyes had been kind and gentle, those of Hades were only cold and bitter.

Hades was struck with fear down to his very core as he opened his eyes. It had to be a dream! Surely one of those elusive moments of sleep had caught him and he'd forgotten how to tell what was real and what wasn't. Yes, this would be one of those dreams that left him shuddering with uncontrollable disappointment when he woke. But when the image of his stupidly grinning brother failed to fade in his vision, his eyes widened and the pupils narrowed to pinpricks. _This was real…!_ His grip on Poseidon tightened, then finally fell away.

When the younger brother stood, leaving the elder to sit up and clutch at his head, eyes wide, they both spotted Zeus. Realizing the danger of the situation and not having the time to wonder what he'd got himself into, Zeus gestured to the fallen titan. "We need to hurry! I don't know how long he'll be out! We have to go, now!" Zeus was actually surprised the sedative had even worked. The two older brothers, still in shock, numbly allowed themselves to be led by their insistent younger brother away from the clearing. Hades collapsed several times on the way to the first concealing thicket of trees, but soon gained strength and motivation.

After running for a long time, so long that a sun that had just been peeking over the edge of the hills was now falling behind their rivals on the opposite horizon, the three arrived at a small cave that was previously occupied by Zeus for exactly this purpose. Hades collapsed in postponed exhaustion and Poseidon soon followed. They may be gods, but they were both certainly in no shape to be running a marathon. Zeus rummaged inside one of two packs and tossed a simple white wool chiton at each of them.

"Who are you?" Poseidon finally thought to ask. This was all too much for him to absorb so quickly.

Before Zeus could provide his answer, Hades, acknowledging the richly-colored hair he had recalled in fevered dreams for the past fifteen years, stated with a rasp: "Brother."

Thinking he had been addressed, Poseidon glanced toward Hades in confusion, but when he noticed who Hades was actually looking at, he realized with wide eyes what the eldest meant.

True, the bronzed skin and blue eyes did not match Rhea in the least, but the brunette locks were a dead giveaway. Zeus slowly nodded his head. The fifteen year old warrior was slightly baffled with the scenario, now. These were his _older_ brothers. There was a long, uncomfortable silence that was broken by a harsh laugh from Hades, nearly making the youngest jump out of his skin.

"I'm Zeus." was the only response the one under query offered, in such a way that only can be accomplished by awkward teenagers. He shuffled his feet.

The twenty year old god approached his newly dubbed sibling, obviously enjoying his discomfort and wrapped a thin arm around Zeus's shoulders. Hades gave an unsettling fanged grin. "Well hey, how ya doin'? Hades." He offered his hand to Zeus, receiving no response from the latter. Hades quickly returned his hand to his side. "Pardon the confusion, but-" and here Hades pinched the bridge of his nose "and don't get me wrong, I'm grateful. Really, I am. But the curiosity's killing me, here. What, _exactly_ do you get outta busting us from the stocks, _Zeus_?"

Relaxing, but still slightly unnerved by the luminous yellow eyes staring into his own, Zeus replied, "You are my brothers, I couldn't leave you inside that monster," He took a deep breath. "and I wanted to avenge mother."

At first he was greeting with a low-lidded, condescending stare. Then, in an invisible double-take, a yellow eye piercing his own twitched and the toothy grin faded.

"…Avenge…?" Poseidon whispered.

A barely audible sound came from Hades.

Zeus shrugged off the older brother's arm. "When mother found out I was going to be born, she fled to an island far off the coast and left me in the care of the nymphs there. I- she must have been in too much pain. One morning she left and walked into the waters of the sea. She… never came back… The nymphs told me she disappeared."

Poseidon watched as his oldest brother's face, now lurking in the darkness of the cave behind Zeus, became more shadowed with each passing word. He was clenching a portion of the rock wall in his clawed fingers, drawing gouges in the stone. Po hadn't known his mother very long, and did not remember much other than her eyes, but it was not the same for Hades.

_No, no… no no no… This wasn't happening! He and the squirt were finally __**free**__, they could go home… _Suddenly he heard her scream in his head once more, as he had heard it countless times before. This time the sound seemed to slice across his memory and started a deadly blaze that burned brighter and hotter every second. _That- that __**bastard**__. He was responsible for this! __**For everything!**_

On the outside, the eldest brother appeared mostly calm as he slowly, deliberately walked toward the exit of the cave. His arms were folded behind his back in an almost nonchalant gesture. "Brother, wait. Where are you going?" Poseidon asked in concern.

In a voice that might have been offering the time of day, Hades responded, "I am going to kill him." The steps continued.

Eyes wide, Po jumped to his feet, alarmed. "_What?_ You can't go back there! If yo-" That train of approach was brought to a screeching halt at a look from Hades. All the rage and pain that didn't show in body language burned within those eyes.

Poseidon ran up and grabbed his arm just as he exited the cave, but was tossed aside in surprise. Hades didn't even turn.

"He ruined _everything._ And for what! Some delusion of us _usurping power?_ We were children!" With every word the dull grey skin started to change; it now held a distinct rosy tint. It became redder and more glaring by the second. "I will find him, and when I do, I will rip out his insides and gouge out his eyes! Maybe if he can't see at all he can't convince himself something is there that isn't! Remove him from the world and condemn him to eternal agony. Maybe then every morning and every night I won't hear her voice screaming!"

The last words came out as a nearly indecipherable shriek and the enflamed skin ignited. As his brothers watched in alarm, the tongues of orange grew higher as Hades continued to rant and wildly gesticulate, though the words could no longer be understood through the impossibly loud whoosh and crackle of fire. Reaching the apex of his rage, Hades finally exploded.

Zeus and Poseidon managed to duck into the cave and behind a jutting rock to avoid being incinerated by a hair's breadth. The heat was unbearable, but left as quickly as it had come, leaving a yawning silence in its wake, occasionally broken by soft sounds. The two brothers crept from the behind the charred rock formation. Through the entrance of the cave they witnessed a sight for the first and last time in their lives.

Hades was on his knees in a great crater of blackened ground. Now topping his formerly bare head was a blue flame, but he didn't seem to notice the change. His shoulders shook and pale hands enshrouded a worn, weary face.

ooOOOoo

ooOOOoo

* In the original mythology, titans are immortal like the gods; however, in the movie Hercules it is implied that they can die.


	3. Fate

Chapter III

Fate

The next morning, Hades was uncharacteristically subdued and Poseidon managed to convince him that revenge had to wait. The white chiton he'd been wearing had darkened to a deep black after his outburst, almost as if it had been burned. The three brothers continued their journey, constantly looking over their shoulders as if expecting Kronos to be looming behind. Eventually they reached the shore.

"You call _that_ a boat?" Poseidon looked dubiously at a shabbily crafted raft partially hidden in the brush near the beach.

Zeus's face turned red. "I might be a god, but I'm only fifteen okay? Gimme a break! I'd like to see you do better!"

"Gladly." Hades approached the neglected mesh of wood and rope and dragged it into the open. Cracking his knuckles, with a dramatic wave of his arms tendrils of smoke enveloped the raft. After a short time, the tendrils departed to reveal the result of Hades' display of power.

"Damn. I ask for a bang and I get a fizzle. Hey! At least we might not sink now." The raft looked much the same as it did before, only the binding seemed more secure and the planks did not look so much like they would snap in half at the slightest provocation. The transport had also become a glossy black, which to Hades' mind, was a vast improvement.

Hiding their snickers, lest the dark one's apocalyptic rage be directed at them, the other two started pushing the raft toward the water.

/OOO\

"My arms hurt." Hades whined from opposite Poseidon as they both laboriously rowed through the churning waters. Zeus sat at the prow with a decidedly smug look on his face. _Yeah, we'll see who's laughing. As soon as you turn that head, golden boy, you're taking a nice long swim in the __**sea.**_

"Baby." the other brother huffed, "Maybe your arms-" another huff "-wouldn't hurt so much if you hadn't thought of that brilliant-" pant "-idea to decide who rows." A whoosh of air. "Idiot."

The flame atop Hades' head flashed a reddish glow as he sulked in indignation. He still seethed from his abrupt and spectacular failure in the arm-wrestling contest. So _that's_ where the muscle in Zeus's head had escaped to…

The two made the unanimous decision to take a break. Now that they were a decent distance away from their deranged father, they felt comfortable enough to eat something from Zeus's packs. In actuality, as gods they did not require sustenance; however, food offered comfort and would speed the process of recovery. When they became older, and their power was in its prime, the gods would not feel so bound to the vices of mortals.

"If I wasn't such a nice guy I'd leave you two to row and just swim there." Poseidon joked with a mocking show of exaggerated benevolence. "It'd be faster, easier, and I wouldn't have to deal with two obnoxious siblings."

"Heh." Hades was nearly clocked in the head by a red fruit, then, courtesy of Zeus. A second went to Poseidon who, paying attention, caught it easily. "The hell is this?" Hades probed around the outside of the round object then dug his sharp fingernails into the thick skin, ripping it open. Red translucent seeds exploded everywhere.

Zeus tried and failed to muffle a very audible snicker. He fell into the water with a resounding splash after dodging a large fireball. Poseidon wisely kept his mouth shut and fell to eating his meal while Zeus sputtered in the waves.

Taking a seed and popping it into his mouth, Hades chewed thoughtfully. Two more joined the first, and soon seeds and skin alike were being bitten away in chunks with relish. Finishing far too soon, Hades gazed longingly at the barely touched food in the hands of his two brothers: Poseidon, who scowled and clutched his own pomegranate closer; Zeus: oblivious in his damp misery. Deciding both courses of action were a lost cause, the bag near Zeus's feet suddenly transported itself into the ravenous gray god's hands. At least half the stuffed pack's contents, from breads to nuts to dried meats, vanished before it was wrested away.

The other two could only watch with raised eyebrows as Hades composed himself, looking decidedly healthier than he had previously. "_Much_ better." He promptly lied down and was soon snoring.

Zeus directed a contemplative look at the sleeping figure, then his sight pointedly moved over the edge of the raft to gaze at the churning water; then once again returned to Hades.

"No."

Broad golden shoulders slumped in disappointment. Zeus hazarded an impatient shove with the heel of his boot to make room; taking his place to continue rowing. The snoring continued unabated.

"So much for a fair contest," grumbled Zeus, "I bet he's even faking."

"I doubt it, he hasn't had much practice…" A pause. "Anyway, now that we're away from… well… wherever we were-" Poseidon raised a questioning eyebrow, "where do we go from now?"

"I- well I haven't exactly…" There was a roll of the eyes from the other. "We're going back to the island where I grew up. Kronos doesn't know where it is, so I think it's the safest place to go while we decide what to do."

Poseidon only shook his head. _That's some master plan._

/OOO\

It took a long time to reach their destination. Weeks passed and the brothers became more comfortable in each others' company. The jutting ribs in Hades' chest had become much less visible as he gained strength and bulk. Poseidon was looking more like his age suggested and Zeus was able to overcome the reservations he had in interacting with these people who were really little more than strangers. There were few incidents along the way; though, the first day had ended with Hades and Zeus attempting to drown each other after Hades had "accidentally" stretched out while resting; knocking Zeus off the raft for the second time.

Some days after a month had come and went, the shores of Zeus's birthplace appeared on the horizon.

Hades was irritated by the growing cheeriness of Poseidon. He had had quite enough of the damnably tiny raft and wanted nothing more than to be done with it. Sure, they had made several stops on land along the way, but if he didn't see another boat for the rest of his immortal life it would be too soon. He grudgingly acknowledged a new respect for Zeus's apparent tenacity. Hades nearly burst into dance when the island came into view.

The island was small, with streams and brooks webbing their way through palm trees and colorful foliage. Brightly-hued, edible fruit grew from much of the plant life and small insects, birds, and lizards scurried aside as the trio wandered through the underbrush. The overall effect was serene, and faint music that seemed almost imaginary floated on the breeze.

The sky was darkening when they reached a small hut nestled at the bottom of a hill. The hut was no great architectural masterpiece, but spoke loudly of _home_. Zeus was strangely unsettled and nervous as they approached the building. He held out a hand to halt his two brothers. "Something's wrong."

Questioning looks were directed his way as Zeus gestured for them to stay put while he inched forward and pushed open the wooden door. Seeing nothing amiss, he relaxed and chided his overactive imagination. Once all three were safely inside, the door suddenly slammed shut of its own volition. The three whirled around to discover three other figures emerge from the shadows.

The hideous apparitions appeared to them as ancient and haggard old women. The first was tall, with a long hooked nose; the second with wiry yellow hair; and the third short with long fangs and a deceptive smile. All possessed eerily empty sockets in place of eyes.

"We are the Fates." Lachesis hissed.

While the two younger brothers now sported horrified and fearful guises, Hades almost looked bored.

Clotho's dry, worn voice went on. "The golden age is coming to an end."

"The mortals are rebellious, to darkness they descend." Lachesis continued where her sister left off.

"They must be guided; held in check, lest chaos reign over all," cackled Atropos. "To the ambitious sons, the avaricious father must fall."

Clotho brought her hand out from her sleeve. Within its grasp was large eyeball with a pupil darting back and forth erratically. "Peace, solace, and vengeance have waited. The time comes."

"Even now, you seek what you must become." Lachesis retrieved the eye from Clotho and held the lightly glowing orb high in the encroaching darkness. "It cannot be found here. You three-" she pointed at them in accusation "-are too weak to win this fight alone."

The eye was passed on once more. "Yes. To defeat the father; the ruler, you must journey to the unknown. Far beneath the earth lies a place of eternal torment known as Tartarus, the dungeon of black."

Hades hissed in a breath. He'd heard of the place before. Kronos had taken an inane pleasure in punishing petty "crimes" with a trip to the core of the world.

"For this journey, you must travel past the underworld and back. A cave at the very base of Mount Olympus will lead you there. Go to the center of the Underworld where the four rivers converge," The empty sockets became stern and foreboding, then.

Lachesis cackled at her sister's dark expression. "Alongside the swirling waters there is a great stair. Walk the steps and you will arrive at Tartarus' gates. These-" she dropped three small black stones on the wooden floor with a series of dull thunks "-will allow you to pass; so say the Fates."

"Take caution," stated Clotho.

"-and care," continued Lachesis.

"For you will find what you seek only there."

The eye floated into the air between the fates who swirled around in the darkness to it and were gone with a blink.

A great heaving, long-suffering sigh broke the stillness of the night. "So you're telling me," Hades picked up one of the pebble-sized stones that appeared to possess its own darkness. "We just, _finally_, got off that stupid boat and now we have to get right back on again, turn back, and high-tail it in the _exact_ same direction we _just_ came from?" He seethed.

"Sounds about right." Poseidon looked entirely too cheerful about this prospect.

Hades looked like he might slump to the floor in defeat right then and there. He stared up at the ceiling as if asking: _why?_

"There's no use leaving right now, we might as well stay here at least until morning." Zeus offered.

The gray god grumbled. "First thing tomorrow we- and by 'we' I mean mostly _you_ –are building a better boat."

After collecting and safely storing away the precious stones, the three brothers each arranged a place in the house's one room to rest for the night. The youngest two were sleeping when Hades rose from his blankets. He sat down on the only chair, holding an object he'd glimpsed resting on a table in the corner of the room. It was a pearly white hair ornament in the shape of a blooming asphodel. It obviously did not belong to Zeus. Hades spent the night gazing out the window toward the sea.

/OOO\

In the morning, Zeus, Poseidon, and lastly Hades reluctantly left the confines of the welcoming hut. Lagging behind, Hades trudged slowly. When the two younger brothers left his sight in the thick congregation of trees, he saw a shadow coalesce in his peripheral vision. Turning, he was greeted by Atropos.

"Beware Moros." She held out a withered hand and presented him with a thin, softly glowing thread. Hades cautiously took the offered string, somehow understanding without a word the importance of the item he held. He carefully tucked it inside a hidden pocket of his black robes. Atropos disappeared, leaving the god to contemplate this new message and wonder why his brothers were not supposed to know.

ooOOOoo

ooOOOoo

Author's Note: I profusely apologize for the rhymes.


	4. Wasting Time

Chapter IV

Wasting Time

Author's Note: Little bit of graphic violence, here.

The three brothers did not leave right away. Instead, they opted to go with Hades' "suggestion" and build a more robust transport. In five days' time, they had created a small – but larger than the raft – sailboat. The sail wasn't very large, due to limited supplies, but was only meant to assist in the strenuous task of rowing. Just as they were setting out from the small island at last, they were greeted by unexpected visitors.

A pale, delicate blue hand curled over the rim of the boat's stern. The hand belonged to an extraordinarily beautiful creature, who pulled herself up to rest her head on her arms, examining the craft's occupants. She was a nature spirit known as a nymph. This one possessed slightly translucent skin, deep dark locks of hair tucked behind sharply pointed ears, and almost eerily white eyes.

Jolting in surprise, since he happened to be seated at the stern, Poseidon glanced questioningly at Zeus.

Zeus shrugged his shoulders as if to say: _I dunno_.

"I am Nemertes." the nymph introduced herself in a ghostly voice.

Hades scooted over to Poseidon's side of the boat. "_Hey_. Come to say bye to me babe? You know, I think there might be room for one more in here." He patted the spot next to him and grinned.

She only gave a secretive smile before vanishing back into the waves.

His brow was furrowed in indignation. "Coulda' just said no…"

When it looked like she wouldn't be returning, the brothers continued on their way, but the boat was soon stopped again. Wondering if they were caught on a reef, Zeus was looking into the water beneath the craft when another nymph appeared out of the water, surprising him so much he landed on his backside after barely evading a dip in the sea. Turning his head, he saw two more leaning over the sides of the sailboat before Nemertes resurfaced again.

Zeus was confused. He'd grown up on this island and he hadn't seen any nymphs other than the ones who'd helped raise him, yet these bore no traces of familiarity whatsoever. The odds of meeting even one other nymph was second to none in such a short amount of time, since the sprites were very elusive. Yet here were, not one, but _four_. With the affection they were lavishing on Poseidon, they weren't very shy, either.

The look on Poseidon's face was hilarious. He was at a complete loss for words as two of the nymphs were draped over him, giggling and whispering. All he could manage were some incoherent stutters. Hades was busy wooing another nymph, but Zeus remained suspicious. "I think we really need to get going…"

"Why in such a hurry?" Nemertes cooed, then smiled that secretive smile again.

/OOO\

"You really are quite a lovely thing. I think I could get used to seafaring for you-" Hades was interrupted in his slightly diabolical advances on a blushing, eyelash-fluttering creature of the sea when he heard a muffled splash. Previous thoughts forgotten, his head swiveled to see – nothing.

Exactly where Zeus had been.

Stunned, mind working rapidly to make sense of things, Hades stood on the slightly unsteady transport. He turned toward his other brother. "Po, where-" He was greeted by nothing but fresh ripples on the water's surface. _And then there was one_.

Knowing without a doubt that there was something wrong, now, he faced the nymph behind him. It had only now occurred to him that maybe he shouldn't have turned his back on her at all. Eyes that had seemed so lovely were now dark and hollow. Fair skin seemed ghastly and the dark hair had become spidery.

Rage igniting in an instant; all pretences of civility were banished as he reached out and grasped her shoulder with a burning hand. "WHERE ARE THEY!"

Showing none of what have must been excruciating pain, she smiled a smile that lost all its innocence when her lips parted to reveal long, needle-thin fangs emerging from a black mouth. Then Hades heard in his head a deep, harsh whisper that he knew was not his imagination, even though he often heard the voice in his nightmares.

_**Found you.**_ The voice hissed. Hades' pupils became pinpricks and a great convulsing shudder coursed through his body.

In his moment of surprise, tiny but shockingly strong hands gripped the arm holding the nymph and _pulled._ The force was so strong and so unexpected that Hades went over the side. An attempt to stop himself only resulted in a large chunk being taken out of the side of the boat. He plunged into the icy waves.

There was something stifling about water. It was deep, dark, and cold. It had a way of making you feel small and helpless. Needless to say, Hades didn't like it. Even as a god, though he couldn't die from asphyxiation, or anything really, Hades could still feel the burning in his lungs and felt some of the sensation of drowning that inspires such terror in mortals.

Or maybe that stifling feeling was because of the serpentine tail encircling and tightening around his torso, dragging him farther from the surface with every passing second.

Fueled by a fear stemming from the voice he was sure he'd heard only moments ago; a fear of something besides death, worse than death, Hades struggled. One of his arms was still free and he sharply dragged his claws through the thick hide wrapped around him until dark blood obscured his vision, but the grip still held. Falling into a smoky, less-than-corporeal state did nothing to assist his escape, either; it only allowed her grasp to tighten even more. Deciding on an approach that was much more difficult, considering his submerged state, he allowed his body to heat, flaring into a red-hot hue. Thousands of bubbles soared upward and blistering skin finally loosened; giving way with an ear-piercing wail of pain. Immediately he started swimming for the surface, but he was no match for the corrupted nymph with her eel-like tail propelling her through the water like a viper in the sand.

_Oh no, we're not doing that again._ When she reached him and tried to encase him once more, he whipped around and seized her right arm, viciously twisting it behind her back until he heard the satisfying crunch of bone. The tail writhed frantically in the water and the other hand slashed back at his face, drawing three deep marks in his skin, but Hades wasn't going to let go this time. With deliberate slowness, making sure his hold didn't slip despite the nymph's thrashing, he reached up with his other hand and rested his claws on the back of her neck.

_I think this is goodbye, my dear. Nice meeting you!_

With a flick of the wrist, and a crack that resounded through the murky water, the wriggling body instantly went limp. He released it and allowed it to sink down, down into the darkness.

Swimming for the surface once more, and without interruption this time, Hades finally broke out into the air and clung to the side of the boat. Gasping and shuddering, he looked around for his brothers. The waves had picked up and the sky was darkening with foreboding. Gray clouds were looming over black waters when a golden head appeared, spluttering and coughing about thirty feet away.

With only slight hesitation, Hades swam once more out into the cold water, grabbed hold of Zeus and more or less dragged him back to the boat. When he'd unceremoniously dropped his brother into the craft, looking a bit battered and worse for the wear, Hades looked out to the water again, eyes darting back and forth over the black waves in vain hope. Blood was dripping into his eyes, making it difficult to see, but Hades didn't think he could possibly miss the sight of his baby brother if he was there.

In a panic, not willing to give up the brother he'd spent fifteen years protecting, Hades took a couple more gasping breaths and dived into the sea. _I'm comin' buddy, hold on._

It was hard to see in the darkening murk, and the search through the water may have been hopeless until Hades suddenly felt a sharp current of water that intensified as he got nearer. Swimming into the heart of the current, he finally came upon the sandy bottom and spotted movement. The two remaining nymphs held Poseidon tightly in a similar way that Hades had been held. They struggled to keep him still. They were not acting as if they were trying to drown him, merely keep him there, as if waiting.

Poseidon was fighting valiantly; he was the cause of the sharp current that was whipping the nymphs about, but it was a losing battle. His struggles were weakening and it was becoming easier for the two creatures to keep him in place. Hades descended like a shadow.

/OOO\

Poseidon probably would have had no trouble escaping if there had been only one problem to deal with. After all, nymphs were water spirits, while Poseidon was a god with an affinity to water. As it was, his thoughts were fading in and out and his struggles finally ceased, leaving him limp in the parody of the nymphs' embrace. His few remaining thoughts lingered on his older brother and why he wasn't there.

As if in answer, there was a light in the darkness as one set of arms was ripped from him. Eyes snapping open, Poseidon watched as Hades tried prying one of the tails away from him as the two nymphs slashed away at his arms and back. Struggles renewing, the younger brother picked up the whipping, flaying current once again. Between the two of them, Poseidon was released from the deadly grasp.

Pushing his brother behind him, Hades faced the nymphs with a glower. He could only look on in surprise when the creatures only hissed, turned, and slithered away into the gloom. Not questioning their good fortune, the two wearily swam upward. Poseidon had to assist his wounded older brother before they were able to reach the surface. They were pulled aboard their small boat by a relieved and exuberant Zeus.

Hades slumped against a wall of the craft, coughing and shivering; glad to relieve the burning need for air. The sky had darkened even further, as if in warning, and small droplets started pattering down. With sudden realization, Hades frantically searched through his robes. Touching upon a small thread resting in a concealed pocket, he sighed in relief.

Zeus looked at the blood dripping from Hades' face and arms in concern. "Should we go back? We can start out on another day…"

"_NO._ We've wasted too much time already." Hades grimly started unfurling the shoddy sail and picked up an oar, taking his place to start rowing.

Surprised by the vehemence in his brother's tone, Poseidon's eyebrows lowered. "Why? What's the matter? The weather's turning sour and you're hurt. Going back might be a better idea."

Hades stood again and walked over to his little brother. He rested a hand on the blue one's shoulder, giving a cynical smile. "Daddy's coming."

Shock, fear, confusion, then questioning passed Poseidon's face in a three-second montage. "How do you know _that_?"

After a moment's pause, then a condescending look, he replied. "Were you always this stupid, or did Zeus infect you?" (There was an indignant "Hey!" in the background that went unnoticed.) "If you really are so naive to think that Kronos would never even consider chasing after us; that everything is sunshine and rainbows now that we're out of his presence; that we can move on with our lives and pretend the last _fifteen years_ never happened - that was really most of your life, wasn't it?" Hades' tone had turned cruel by this point. "You seem like you don't even want to be free…"

Poseidon tried to interrupt the tirade, but Hades only raised his hand and continued; his fangs bared in a grin that looked suspiciously like a grimace.

"Like I was _saying_," he snapped, "if you are so delusional that you thought all these ridiculous things, I will enlighten you with the reason why we need to be moving _right now_." All the steam that had seemed to build up inside him was released in an explosive sigh as the god slumped down into a seat and lowered his yellow eyes. "I heard him."

The last statement was so quiet in comparison to the ranting, stress-filled words of before. "What was that?"

Hades looked up again, almost as if in defeat. He ran his hand over his head, where blue flame usually rested. "Call me crazy, but the old man was in my head, speaking to me after I lost you two. Scared the shit outta' me." Expecting looks of disbelief and maybe even laughter, he closed his eyes in anticipation. He wasn't disappointed.

Zeus was chuckling derisively. Hades' hair lit up briefly before it was extinguished by the rain once more. "So you're hearing things. Don't worry; it's understandable. You've been through a lot, maybe after a good rest you'll forget all about this. Po, hey! You gonna help me get us back to shore or what?"

Looking over, Zeus was greeted with an unexpectedly dark and forbidding expression on the normally upbeat god's face. "My brother is not crazy."

A bit taken aback, he responded defensively. "I didn't say _crazy_. It's perfectly normal to imagine certain things when you're stressed."

"'Stressed' doesn't even _begin_ to cover it." Hades snapped in anger, though he was pleasantly surprised by his defense. "I didn't know you were so eager to be digested. But hey! If you really wanna stay go right on ahead. We're taking the boat, _Zeus_."

Zeus looked on in disdain as the other two took their places and, with a profound sense of urgency, set the transport moving away from the small piece of land that had become little more than a dot on the horizon. Despite the suggestion, he had no intention of leaving his older brothers now that he was out-voted.

After a moment or two, Zeus moved over to Hades. The older god was clearly pained, but determined. Zeus held out his hand to take the oar and nodded his head at the place Hades was sitting. After a tense second of suspicion, the oldest gave in and allowed the youngest to take his place.

The small sail whipped in the growing winds and driving rain as the island vanished out of sight.


	5. Humanity and All its Side Effects

Chapter V

Humanity and All its Side-Effects

Author's Note: Holy damn I didn't expect it to take this long to update. A massive hunk of workload was thrown at me in the last couple weeks. Classes started again and my teacher seems to think the best strategy now is: "I'm gonna give them all a crapload of work without actually teaching them anything first, so eventually they've got to figure it out."

The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and a jaunty tune floated on the breeze.

The pleasant whistling was interrupted by an irate voice. "Great Kronos, will you be _quiet_! Sheesh." For a time, the music ceased, but soon picked up again and continued for several minutes.

"GAAAAH! Shut up, shut up, _shut up_! I can't take it anymore!" Silence resounded, and for a long while nothing but the sound of the wind whistled through the valley.

You could almost hear the smile concealed within a last, solitary note before an explosion rocked the surrounding hills.

"You're terrible." A peeved Poseidon who was now more black than blue crested the top of the grassy hill overlooking a small village.

"The terrible thing is this _fantastic_" - the word was laced with sarcasm - "plan you two idiots have plotted behind my back. And your horrid whistling." Hades peered over edge of the hill at the village like it was a festering boil.

A light, friendly punch was delivered to the Hades' back; making him cringe nonetheless. "Quit being such a hermit. You've never even seen a human before," Zeus chided.

"I know enough about them to make _seeing_ them one of the last things on my list of priorities, right next to walking up to one and _asking for directions_ like a damn _tourist_." His voice became falsely cheery. "'Excuse me, sir. Do you know if they're selling any souvenirs in the Underworld? A soul in a snowglobe would be perfect for-' why does everybody keep hitting me!"

His train of thought crashed when Poseidon gave his shoulder a shove. "You had plenty of chances to offer any other ideas, but you didn't, so this is what we're stuck with. We can't just wander aimlessly all over Greece trying to find Mount Olympus."

"You fail utterly as the voice of reason, brother." Hades sneered. "Somehow, I just don't see the logic in dealing with dumb, panicky, forgetful humans. It'll be just our luck if they succeed in getting us lost. Or better yet, eaten. Again."

Zeus rolled his eyes. They'd both bore the brunt of this argument since they'd told Hades of their plan three days ago. Hades had been going on about it so much that they could hear his ranting in their sleep.

Hades rounded on Zeus. "What I don't get is how _you_-" he poked Zeus in the chest, "-were tracking daddy dearest for who-knows-how-long and it never occurred to you to find out where his permanent place of residence was."

Zeus was exasperated. "I told you already! There was no point because it would have been stupid to walk right up to his doorstep and offer him fine wine with a dash of _poison_, don't you think?"

"_I_ can. But I'm sorry if I have to suspend my disbelief just to imagine that you are capable of such a strenuous activ-" He felt a gentle tug on the end of his robes.

Hades whirled around, prepared for hydras, chimeras, and the wrath of the titans, but was completely disarmed upon coming face-to-face with a small child.

A girl who couldn't have been more than seven years old looked up at the god with wide, awe-filled gray eyes. Auburn hair, disheveled in such a way common to children that age, grazed small shoulders holding up a dress that was probably white in some distant past. The hem of Hades' chiton was clenched in one of her tiny hands.

Hades blinked.

The girl pointed with her other hand and stated matter-of-factly: "Your head's on fire."

The gray god slowly turned his head back to his brothers in uncertainty. The other two looked about as gobsmacked as himself, though the corners of Poseidon's mouth were starting to twitch upwards. Hades flinched visibly when a weight unexpectedly latched onto his leg._ She was hugging him!_

Picking up the bundle by the back of her dress, he held her at arm's length and grimaced for a moment before setting her on the ground away from his person and walking the other direction. Sure enough, he hadn't gone three steps before he was joined for the fourth; two tiny feet resting on one of his, and arms tenaciously latched upon him. Gray eyes blinked up at him innocently.

"Seriously?" Hades was sure that this was some sort of cosmic joke. "_Seriously?_" He looked to the sky and gestured wildly. Shoulders slumped and eyebrows furrowed at the clouds for a moment in contemplation, before he seemed to reach a conclusion with a sigh.

/OOO\

"Wait! We can't just go waltzing in there!"

But that was exactly what Hades was doing. Face set in a deep scowl that might have seemed more intimidating if he wasn't toting a giggling child on one foot, the god stomped his way down the grassy hill. _Not exactly how I imagined the first display of my godly presence. _He grumbled mentally.

Zeus was looking quite distressed, but Poseidon was barely containing his laughter as he gladly strolled along with Hades and his unwelcome passenger. "We should have planned a better approach than this…" Zeus muttered.

"Why? It gets the job done, doesn't it?" Poseidon laughed.

"You're not taking this seriously!" But Poseidon was ignoring him now, jogging to keep up with Hades' longer strides.

Hades was greeted with gasps and noises of alarm as he strode right into the middle of the village. The three immediately stuck out, for it was impossible for any of them to pass as human as they were. Even Zeus, who looked the most humanlike out of the three, could be easily distinguished by his golden glow. With their unusual stature and unearthly features, most of the villagers were immediately aware of the power walking among them. People held their children close and peeked out from doorways as the gods wandered into their midst. A few crouched low to the ground in submission, regarding the divine appearances with reverence and respect. Some; however, looked at the three with suspicion. Hades stopped in a clearing that the homes seemed to revolve around and gave a cursory glance toward the child at his side, then examined the people gathering. Gaze stopping on a woman with familiar auburn hair and an intent expression, he walked in her direction. Callously plucking up the young girl by the back of her dress once again, he held her out to the woman. "Is this yours?"

Looking quite shocked at first, the woman quickly snatched away the child and held her close without saying a word.

Hades hesitated, but pinched the bridge of his nose and continued, turning to address the growing crowd. "In light of my gratitude, and by gratitude I mean not incinerating small children with the audacity to touch my godly robes, I request a small favor." He gestured to include his siblings. "Me and my brothers are on a bit of a quest, as it were. In order to complete this quest, we need to know the location of Mount Olympus."

A voice spoke up from somewhere in the back of the crowd. "But- you're gods, aren't you? Don't you already know where Mount Olympus is?"

Hades did not look amused and Zeus appeared mildly embarrassed. "Humor me."

The villagers crowded around each other and muttered for a few short moments, glancing up at them often. Hades tapped his foot impatiently. Four people from the group suddenly ran off in another direction as one man approached the brothers. He bowed before them. "Mighty gods, there is only one person in our village who possesses the knowledge you seek. However, we must humbly ask you to allow him to guide you to the great Mount Olympus, as we do not find him trustworthy. I am sure that, faced with your wrath as you travel, he will guide you truthfully. You are not displeased with us, I hope?"

Hades opened his mouth to say that, yes, he was displeased and would-you-kindly-hold-still-while-I-roast-your-insides, when he was interrupted as Zeus yanked him around to face them. "I think we should go along with it."

"_...Why? _Babysitting wasn't part of the game plan. I've had enough of that already."

"Like you said before, humans are dumb and forgetful. How do we know our guide won't send us in the wrong direction?"

Hades held up a finger and opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again before saying, "…Okay, rule number one, you're not allowed to use my words against me in any future arguments, deal?"

The four villagers returned, practically dragging along a thin, dark-haired man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. They dumped him at the gods' feet where he scrabbled to return to a standing position. It took the man a moment to absorb where he was and who he was standing in front of. Jittery, he held out his hand nervously and stated, "My name is Agaclytus; you can call me Clytus. I will be your guide."

The proffered hand was glanced at, ignored. He dropped it. "Before we agree to this arrangement." Hades glared down his nose at Clytus. "What did you do to get this guy-" he waved a hand at the villagers' spokesman, "-to call you untrustworthy?"

"Oh! Uh, heh. Well, it's nothing really; just a bit of superstition. I seem to have earned the label of a bad luck charm. You see, there was this boulder-" Clytus rambled on in his description of some indecipherable incident that somehow involved goats, the main town building, and moldy cheese. Everyone kind of stopped paying attention about ten seconds in.

"I'm blaming you two if our 'bad luck charm' manages to accomplish anything related to his title." Hades pointed toward his brothers. "And you-" he looked at Poseidon, "have been awfully quiet this whole time, with that grin on your face. You make me suspicious."

Poseidon shrugged and just continued grinning. "Because everything I wanted to say would have gotten me hit."

"Good call."

/OOO\

As they were walking outside the village with a nervous guide leading the way, Poseidon finally couldn't help himself. "I didn't know you were so good with children."

He was rubbing a bruise on the back of his head for a while afterwards.


End file.
